The Last Piece

Instructor to present trans-Siberian trip in next studium generale

By: Anthony Richards

Posted: 2/17/10

By Anthony Richards

Travelling across the world is still difficult for many of us to do, even in the modern age, but the pursuit of entitlement to say "I have been around the World" has been completed by mathematics professor Mike Daniel, who will be the next speaker at PC's studium generale.

Daniel, now retired, served in the United States Navy as apart of multiple Airborne Early Warning squadrons stationed across the world in many nations like Spain and Afghanistan. During his deployments, Daniel traveled as far as Turkey and Nepal, only missing a small bit of Siberia to link both East & West ends of his journeys together, part of the reason Daniel made this trip.
From July 10-August 1, 2009, Daniel toured by bike, car, & train through Western and Eastern Russia, Mongolia, and China. He left Seattle and flew to St. Petersburg where he stayed for several days and explored various historical locations such as the Church of the Savior on Blood cathedral, built by Tsar Alexander III, son of Tsar Alexander II, where his father was assassinated.

While in Russia, Daniel "expected it to be more primitive," but "was impressed with the advancement of the Russian middle class," remarking on the commercial and economic development after the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago.

From St Petersburg, Daniel took a train to Moscow where he toured parts of the Kremlin and Red Square. After sightseeing, he boarded a 5-day train excursion from Moscow in the west to Irkutsk in the east, Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and finally ending in Beijing, China where he flew back to Seattle.

You can catch Mike Daniel's Studium Generale presentation at 12:35 p.m. on February 25, for more information and much more of his photos.